Chapter 14

It was raining heavily in Marseilles, Calista was cuddled up in bed with a book, reading contently. There was a sudden tap on the window, Calista turned her head and saw a poor eagle owl drenched in rain. A letter, obviously charmed to be water proof, was tied to its leg. Once she opened the window, the owl swopped in and perched itself on top of the fireplace. Extending it's leg, Calista took the letter and opened it. Scanning the letter quickly, she quickly took her coat and called for Draco.

"We have to go, now, quick!" Calista said.

"Why?" She tossed Draco the letter, which turned out to be from Blaise.

"Argh, this better be real good, it's freaking cold and raining!" Draco complained, taking his cloak and following Calista out off the hotel.

They arrived 20 minutes later, in front of a small café, where Blaise told them to meet him. Draco stepped out of the cab and looked around him, he became a little suspicious when he found the little café to be exactly in front of the hotel he followed Astoria to a few days ago.

Entering the café, they saw Blaise sitting at the back where it was most secluded, with a cup of hot coffee and a pissed-off look on his face.

Looking up, Blaise saw Draco and Calista, and the frown on his face deepened.

"You better have a really, really, and I mean really, good reason for dragging me out of my five-star comfortable hotel room on this shitty day to this retarded old coffee shop with no heater or fireplace," Blaise said.

Draco looked at Blaise oddly. "You were the one who told us to come here, you said you have something important to tell us about Astoria," Draco said in a hushed tone, sitting down beside Blaise.

"I did?"

"Didn't you?" Calista asked, growing worried.

"No. I got an owl from you two asking me to meet you here...but now I'm realising we just fell for the oldest trick in the book?" Blaise said, slowly standing up.

Draco glanced outside quickly at the hotel across the road, then back at Calista and Blaise.

"Oh my god, we have to get out of here," he said, grabbing Calista's arm.

"Wait...what? Draco, what's going on?" Calista asked.

"I'll explain later, just move!"

Draco shoved his way through the restaurant, dragging Calista with him, Blaise right behind them. He reached the glass door and pushed it open, stumbling out onto the street. A shout came from inside just as Blaise escaped, and a deafening explosion sounded as the café disappeared in a cloud of black smoke and flames.

Blaise, who just made it out, got up shakily from the pavement, and looked at Draco.

"Holy fuck," he breathed. "What the hell just happened?"

Draco shook his head. "Are you okay?"

Blaise ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, just."

Calista turned to Draco. "We should get out of here. The Ministry might be here soon."

Draco turned, surveying the crowd that had gathered around. A siren sounded in the distance. Through the crowds and debris, Draco saw a pale grey 1957 Aston Martin DB drive off through the crowded streets. He quickly pushed through the crowd toward the street. Calista and Blaise exchanged a confused look and followed him. Draco reached a car parked by the pavement, and drew his wand, unlocking the door and sliding into the driver's seat.

"Get in!" he ordered, and Calista and Blaise hurriedly dove into the back seat.

Draco started the ignition and stepped on the accelerator, taking off after the grey car.

Astoria turned away from the window and looked at Oreste.

"Are you telling me we've been reduced to using Muggle means?" Oreste hissed in a threatening tone.

"We have no choice. This has to end now, and I took whatever means were available, Muggle or not," Astoria replied in an icy voice.

"And a bomb is the best way to end this?"

"It's clean, it's fast, it won't be traced back to us. Yes, I believe it's the best," Astoria replied, strolling over to the window and looking down at the café across the road. "It has been magically modified so it'll explode as soon as it sensors their magical signatures."

"Which should be any minute now," Oreste replied tersely, as he watched a couple enter the café.

They stood in tense silence by the window for a couple of minutes.

"What's going on?" Astoria murmured anxiously, glancing at her watch. "It should be..."

"Wait! Look..." Oreste replied gruffly.

They watched in horror as three figures burst out of the café just as it exploded.

"Fuck! He knows, he must!" Astoria whispered, expression turning panicked.

"Get to the car. Quickly!" Oreste barked.

Draco tailed the grey car as closely as he could, but it was rather difficult with many people running around in panic due to the bomb, and traffic was starting to form.

"Shit! We're losing her," Draco exclaimed.

"Just get us close enough," Blaise said. Draco looked at him inquiringly.

"Just trust me on this, ok?" Draco sped up the car and got them as close as he could.

"Close enough?"

"Perfect," Blaise said, he then rolled down the car window and took out his wand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Calista cried.

"Reducto!" Blaise shouted, bright sparks shot through his wand and Draco watched wide eyed as the car in front of him was blasted into the air. The car rolled over in mid-air once before crashing down.

"What the fuck, Blaise?" Draco stopped the car and turned around to scowl at Blaise, but Blaise had already thrown the door open and was running towards the other car. Draco cursed and followed his best friend out, Calista in tow.

The door of the Aston Martin was suddenly blown away and out came Astoria Greengrass, looking only slightly disheveled. What made them stop dead in their tracks was the person who came out next after Astoria.

"I knew it," Blaise whispered vehemently before running towards the pair.

Oreste quickly grabbed Astoria by her upper arm and dragged her towards an empty park, his bodyguards following them. They threw spells at Draco, Calista and Blaise, but they skillfully dodged them before throwing their own spells which took down the bodyguards easily. Calista turned on the spot with a loud crack and she appeared instantly in front of Oreste and Astoria.

"I think you should stop now," Calista said.

"You sick old bastard, you just tried to kill me!" Blaise screamed as soon as he caught up with Oreste and Astoria.

"Merely the pot calling the kettle black," Oreste replied coolly, sneering impressively despite the circumstances.

Blaise raised his wand and tried to send his grandfather the killing curse when Draco caught his hand.

"Don't. If you kill him now, you'll go to Azkaban, Blaise."

"I'm going there anyway if they find out I've been plotting to kill him," Blaise hissed.

"No, you won't, they won't be able to find any proof, but if you kill him now, the Aurors will be able to point fingers at you." Blaise glared at Draco before he reluctantly lowered his wand.

Draco shifted his gaze from his best friend to his fiancée, who was clearly still in shock.

"Astoria...all this...for what?" he asked.

Draco glanced quickly at Calista, who was putting up protective spells around the park to prevent Muggles from looking in. Both Blaise and Oreste had their wands trained on each other, but they weren't doing anything yet.

He looked back to Astoria, who laughed hollowly, without humour.

"Oh, Draco. You just don't understand. You belong to no one but me," she said quietly, her eyes taking on a mad glint. "And you dare to choose her!"

She lifted her wand, pointing to Calista, who was standing next to Draco.

He moved forward half a step, holding out an arm in front of Calista.

"Astoria, please. We can work this out. It doesn't have to be like this," he said, calmly but firmly.

She stepped closer, her wand shaking slightly.

Draco tried the last tactic that always worked. "Astoria, I love you. Put your wand down."

She turned sharply to him, her green eyes blazing. "You love me? You've never loved me, you fucking bastard! You've only loved her!"

Aiming carefully at Calista, Astoria cried out, "Avada Kedavra!"

Draco, frozen in place, saw a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision, and a dark shape dove past him and in front of Calista. The jet of green light hit Blaise squarely in the chest and he crumpled to the floor.

Astoria, eyes wide and shaking violently, lowered her wand and backed up to a tree, sliding to the ground. Calista, reacting quickly and cleverly, moved past and trained her wand on Oreste, who was staring, shocked, at Blaise lying motionless on the ground.

Draco dropped to his knees, and grasped Blaise's shirt. "No, Blaise!"

Blaise smirked fleetingly and his brown eyes sparkled. "Take care of her, Draco. I don't just die for anyone, you know..."

"No...you can't..."

Draco felt Blaise breathe shallowly once before his eyes slid close, his body lifeless on the ground.

Hardly believing what was happening, Draco slowly let go of Blaise's shirt, when he heard a gruff voice from behind him.

"Avada-,"

"Pasvis Mourra!" Blair's voice came, and Draco turned just in time to see Oreste fall to the floor.

Calista lowered her wand and caught Draco's eye. "It's the least I can do for him," she said softly, her gaze moving to Blaise's body.

Draco nodded once, before slowly standing up, and they both turned to look at Astoria, who was still on the ground, leaning against the tree, shuddering.

Astoria looked up and saw the disappointment in Draco's eyes and she instantly burst into tears.

"I-I love you, I love you so much! We were supposed to be together, we are meant to be together! Ever since we were little, ever since you first taught me how to ride my broom."

"Astoria-"

"Why? Why would you do this to me? Why do you try so hard to make me hate you?"

"Astoria, I love you like a little sister. But Calista and I…well, I lo-"

"Shut up! Hearing it once is enough, I don't want to hear anymore!" Astoria screamed, covering her ears with her hands and for a second she looked like a lost little girl. Draco could only look at her sadly; he couldn't do anything to ease her pain.

"Draco," Calista whispered urgently, and Draco turned to look at her. "The Aurors are coming, we have to go."

"No, I need to need to make sure Astoria's okay."

Calista nodded silently, and began dismantling the wards.

"Just make up some cover story," Draco said. Calista nodded again distractedly.

He turned back to Astoria. She looked up at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Draco," she whispered. "For everything."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry too."

End chp 14.